Director of Puppet Theatre says screening of gay rights film quite normal (video)

The art director of the Yerevan Puppet Theatre finds nothing strange about plans for screening a Serbian gay rights film.

Speaking to Tert.am, Ruben Babayan said he doesn’t quite understand the fuss over the scheduled screening of the Parade, a dramedy film dealing with gay rights issues in Serbia.

“That’s a feature film that has been presented for different festivals. It could be likewise possible to cancel the screening of films by Sergei Parajanov and Luchino Visconti or books by Nabokov. It is necessary to adopt a definite principle and decide whether we are making this country a Persia and rejoice it or simply realize that there is tolerance, a feature film and art,” he said.

The film is to go on screen at the Puppet Theatre on October 15 and 16. The plan recently sparked protests in Facebook, with different users complaining that the problems of Serbian gays is going to be presented in Yerevan.

The Parade, which was premiered in Serbia in October 2011, tells about the homosexuals’ rights in Serbia. It is based on a 2010 gay parade held in the country’s capital, Belgrade. The film attracted 350,000 spectators in the Belgian cinemas within 11 weeks after its first screening. It also appeared widely popular in Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

Commenting on the film’s disputable nature, Babayan said the Puppet Theatre is not limited only to children’s interest.

“You are aware that the Golden Apricot [film festival] and other screening are being held here. The problem is we have a small hall, and unfortunately no cinemas, as a matter of fact,” he said, ruling out the possibility of any propaganda.

As for the organizer, Babayan said the screening has been arranged by the European Union.

The youth union Hayazn had earlier announced plans for holding a protest outside the German Embassy in Yerevan.

Tert.am contacted the EU Delegation to Armenia but an employee answering the call refused to talk to our reporter, saying that she is not a competent person to give a comment.